Break The Illusion

May 3, 2011

Man is the only creature that refuses to be what he is. ~Albert Camus

It’s hard to improve upon ourselves when we feed ourselves and others a story that does not match reality. I had never thought in these terms until I read a book by Rory Miller called “Meditations on Violence“.

Until reading this book, it had never occurred to me that many of us disguise ourselves from ourselves. We rarely are forced to face what we are until a life changing conflict stares us in the face. This is what stood out to me in Rory Miller’s book on violence (even though the entire book was quite excellent).

The illusions I had of myself became even more apparent when I started to train in Systema. Something as simple as the bare-knuckled plank can tell you a lot about yourself and the state of your body and mind.

I told myself that I was largely a good person with a few flaws. It wasn’t till I did some serious soul searching that I came to see that I am a person with many flaws who manages to get a few things right.

I think for many of us, we carry this illusion about ourselves to compensate for our inadequacies instead of dealing with them head on. It could also be that many of us are too busy and overloaded, even mentally exhausted.

It doesn’t help we don’t like to admit our faults or accept responsibility for them. Many of us feel a need to be something we are not, or maybe its easier to let others tell us what we should be.

I’d rather be honest than impressive. ~Jay Brannan

At the end of the day, we just don’t want to deal with a certain reality that as human beings we are very much vulnerable no matter how good we think we are.

I have to agree with Rory Miller’s assertion that conflict and how we react to it can pierce the veil we hide ourselves behind. Does this mean we should be seeking conflict to figure our who we really are?

Absolutely not.

For most us the stresses of life and its conflicts will invariably find us. But this point illuminates the importance personal development. I life committed to learning, training and self-discovery.

Our training and learning should move us out of our comfort zones and turn on the light in our soul to root out those untruths and exaggerations we tell ourselves. To root out dogma where ever it exists within us.

To see the unvarnished self that exists within.

The good, the bad and the ugly.

Then with self-compassion and acceptance, start to reveal and become the real person inside.

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FAVORITE QUOTES

Confront the dark parts of yourself, and work to banish them with illumination and forgiveness. Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing. Use the pain as fuel, as a reminder of your strength.— August Wilson